We have a couple of new cuties on the farm these days. Twin Toggenburg kids were born on March 19, a doeling named Chai and a buckling named Joe.  They’re already bouncing around the barn and following mama Cinnamon and grandma Anise out into the pasture in search of whatever is growing in the field and woodlands.  Another doe, Hannah, is a LaMancha breed and is due to kid any time now – keeping watch is a serious business! And it’s much more pleasant when the temperatures are above freezing!  We’re grateful for the end of the long winter of 2015.

With the arrival of spring, the farm is busy with planting activities – starting seeds indoors, watching the fall plantings come to life with the warming air and soil, and of course direct seeding outdoors which will start soon.  Last fall we planted lettuce and other salad greens in covered boxes.  Amazingly, the plants hibernate over winter and start growing again once the soil warms up – our early spring salads will be available soon, and we can’t wait.  Radishes, peas, new horseradish roots and potatoes can go into the ground early; cabbage, tomatoes and peppers are already sprouting indoors. It’s a very busy time.

Maple sugaring season is a memory now – we finished this week and have cleaned up the equipment to be stored till next year.  We have only one good sugar maple tree on our farm, and although it was a rough winter, we harvested enough sap in March for about 3 quarts of finished syrup.  That’s enough for several family pancake parties.  Boiling down sap makes the last days of winter bearable, especially when you’re inhaling the sweet aroma of maple sugar!

Watch for updates on the goat kids, availability of fresh salad greens, and resumption of our bread baking schedule! April is right around the corner.